The Imperfect Adventurer
by TheAnswers
Summary: Philip, Gielinor's renowned adventurer, finds himself in an adventure very unlike most of his previous ones. Where other adventures had him helping others, his motivations for his current one are much more selfish. Deceit and desire aid him in his travels, but as those around him soon find out, rarely do appearances tell the whole story. Rated T for strong language and dark themes.


**Prologue**

It was with a strong sense of dread that Philip, self-proclaimed 'adventurer' of substantial acclaim, watched as a radiant figure approached him from across the room. This figure, wearing a bright green dress that clashed brilliantly with her distinctive red hair, was a woman who displayed the elegance of a swan with each decisive step she took. Even in a grand ballroom, full of joyous party-goers, deafening music and grandiose decorations, she was easily distinguishable from anywhere in the room. In fact, if there was anything out-of-place with this elegant woman, it wasn't her attire, but her actions. As she walked, she left in her wake confused bystanders, wondering why this beautiful woman would be approaching the surly-faced, crudely-dressed man sitting in the back of the room.

Indeed, even Philip himself would have found that puzzling, were he an outside observer. All over his body, he bore proof, in the form of scars, of his past adventures, which included slaying the dragon Elvarg and aiding in the regrowth of the lost elven city, among other impressive feats. However, at a political party hosted by a successful man with high social aspirations and attended by wealthy, upper-class nobles, there were very few people who had blemishes of the skin of any kind, and even fewer that let them show. And to add to that, where others were dressed in expensive suits and extravagant dresses, Philip was clothed in what the other party-goers would probably describe as rags. He had little place attending the party at all, let alone taking the attention of perhaps the most extravagant figure in the entire party.

What the people of this mindset didn't know was the Philip was already acquainted with this person. Because this person wasn't just a beauty who attended parties to improve her social standing, as she may appear to others. She was Ariane, a very capable mage and fellow adventurer. The two had crossed paths a few times during their careers, notably teaming up to save the Wizard's Tower over a decade ago. That was one of the last times the two had seen each other, but Ariane seemed unperturbed by that fact as she continued her approach to the table Philip was seated at. She looked the part of a close acquaintance, or perhaps even a friend, as she reached the table and sat down across from Philip without a single word.

"Ariane!" Philip exclaimed, abandoning his sullen look and putting on his best smile in a display of mock confidence. "How nice it is to see you again! I see the years are no match for your beauty."

Philip grimaced inwardly as he awaited her reply. There was a time once where he considered her a friend, but that time was long ago. And, from her point of view, he had left without a word, so there was no telling how she would react.

Ariane revealed a small smile, and Philip felt many of his worries go at that simple gesture. "Indeed, it is nice to see you once more as well, Philip."

"What a surprise this is!" Philip said earnestly, his relief quite evident. The exuberance of his movements were matched only by the couples dancing in the ballroom. "When I was invited to this banquet, I never would have imagined that I would meet you here! I hope the years have treated you well?"

"My research has kept me busy." Ariane replied shortly. With a flick of her wrist, she brushed a stray stand of hair from her face. "With each question I answer, two more are asked. But, for all my effort, I believe the progress I've made has the potential to change modern magic."

"Ever the ambitious one, eh?" Philip grinned. "But, for what it's worth, I believe in you. Never have I met someone as skilled as you in the magical arts."

"Enough flattery." Ariane replied. "Ozan already gives me more than I can put up with. I don't need you giving me some, as well."

"Fair enough." Philip said with a laugh. "I guess, despite my best efforts, he's rubbed off on me a bit."

"I'll be sure to pass him along your thoughts." Ariane said lightly.

Philip smiled. "Send my regards to all of the Legend's Guild members. It has been far too long since I've seen any of them."

"I will do that." Ariane replied. "They will appreciate a chance to hear your story directly, instead of relying on wild rumors."

"Rumors?" Philip asked quizzically, the enthusiasm of his voice quickly dying away. "You've heard rumors about me?"

Philip, head cocked and mouth slightly agape, peered at Ariane for answers but her face was hard to read. She opened her mouth to reply but at that moment, a butler walked up to the table carrying a bottle of wine that appeared to be rather old. "Sorry to interrupt, sir and madam, but Sir Benevire, in his generosity, wishes to present each of his guests a glass of his finest wine, grown and fermented at his vineyard near Catherby. Would either of you care for a glass?"

"I would, thank you." Philip replied distractedly, the annoyance of being interrupted only thinly veiled in his aggressive voice.

"As would I." Ariane nodded, quite a bit more calmly than her counterpart.

The butler nodded, picked up the two empty wine glasses at the table and filled them with wine colored a deep shade of red. Then, with a bow, the butler backed away and approached the nearest table to continue his distribution of wine to the rest of the guests.

Philip downed half of his glass in a single gulp, while Ariane took a small sip before returning her glass to the table. As she did, Philip asked impatiently, "You were saying?"

Ariane's features quickly became very serious. "Philip, I'll be blunt. There have more than a few rumors popping up about you. Many of which are fairly troubling."

"Are you perhaps referring to the murders in Ardougne?" Philip asked.

"Well, that's one." Ariane replied. "Would you care to explain your involvement?"

"Nasty case, that one." Philip said somberly. "I wish I had arrived earlier than I did, perhaps then I could've found out who committed those murders."

"So you were investigating the murders?" Ariane asked.

"Yes." Philip nodded. "It was about a year ago, I suppose. By chance, I was stopping in Ardougne to grow some herbs when I noticed a large commotion in the town square. Through some asking around, I got a sense of what was going on and I decided to take a look into it. It turned out to be fruitless, though. It didn't take long for me to conclude that the murder was of a magical nature, and I am simply not skilled enough in those arts to gather any evidence."

"Magic?" Ariane asked, surprised. "Magic played a part in those murders?"

"Yes." Philip nodded. "The crime scene appeared to be clean to the unobservant eye, but there was clearly a magical veil of some sort, hiding vital pieces of evidence. I couldn't get through it. Whoever did it certainly knew what they were doing. I wish I could've helped but I know when I'm beaten."

"Interesting..." Ariane said slowly. "If that was the case, you should have came to me."

"Well, you're certainly welcome to take a look now, if it pleases you." Philip replied.

"No, no." Ariane said with a shake of her head. "A year has passed, it is much too late now. Any magical residue from such a spell surely would have faded away by now. Even someone of my talents would be unable to perceive anything worthwhile."

"Ah, I see." Philip said. "Had I known you would be this accommodating, I would have approached you earlier, but I was doubtful, given the amount of time that has passed since we had last seen each other."

"Foolish." Ariane said. "You know that I'll always be grateful for your help with the Wizard's Tower situation. No amount of time will change that."

"Really?" Philip asked through doubtful lips. "Your suspicion says otherwise."

"It is simply because I respect so greatly that I am concerned." Araine replied. "Going by the dubious rumors that have been going around, death seems to be following you around lately, and I wish to put my mind at ease by hearing for myself that there is no truth to these rumors."

"And here I thought this meeting was mere chance!" Philip said with a laugh.

"You must admit, your presence here is questionable." Ariane pointed out. "You were the self-proclaimed adventurer, so what are you doing here at a nobleman's political social?"

"I see now." Philip said with an understanding nod. "If your concern is that I'm plotting something here, then allow me to put your suspicions to rest. I have done some fishing in recent weeks and our gracious host here has been my primary buyer. And, when he offered me an invitation to this party, I found no reason to decline. So here I am."

Ariane squinted her eyes slightly, quite obviously not completely satisfied with the answer. But she seemed to accept it nonetheless, for she replied, "I see. I suppose I should offer an apology for doubting you."

"Well, I can hardly fault you. I can see how the circumstances could you lead you to that conclusion." Philip replied. "But thank you, it means a lot."

Ariane finished off what was left in her wine glass and said with finality, "Well, now that I've cleared that up, I should be going."

"Already?" Philip asked, a look of surprise etched onto his face. "Come, the night is young! There is plenty of drink and dance left to be had!"

"Ozan has influenced you more than I had first anticipated." Ariane said with a raised eyebrow.

"Forgive me, perhaps I've had a bit too much to drink." Philip laughed. "But I do hope this farewell won't be as permanent as the last."

"That's for you to decide." Ariane said. She then slid out of her chair and returned to her feet. Without offering any further words of farewell, she spun around and walked off, her long dress and hair dancing in her wake.

Philip sighed in relief as the tension left his being with Ariane's departure. Not more than a few seconds after Ariane left, Philip was greeted by another figure. A girl, still in her late teens, sat down in the seat that had been previously occupied by Ariane with a timing that would suggest that she had been observing their conversation. Her marred face was wrinkled into a frown as she asked, "Will that be a problem?"

Philip continued to watch Ariane before she rounded a corner and disappeared from sight. Eyes full of thought, he answered, "It may become one."

"I take it you know her?" The girl asked.

"How much did you hear?" Philip asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Enough." The girl replied dubiously.

Philip sighed, expecting nothing less from this young lady. He then rose to his feet and said, "Just leave it at that, then. Let's get going, Ash."

Though the party was still in full swing, with lively music and gourmet dishes abound, the two of them quietly slipped out of the ballroom. Leaving the festive atmosphere of the party behind, they stepped out into the cold, silent streets of Varrock, where dusk had just passed and the darkness of night enveloped the city. And as Philip and his counterpart walked through the familiar alleyways back to their two-room house, Philip's mind was still back at the party, thinking on the disheartening words that were said.


End file.
